STUDIO NEWS February 2020

Detail from my easel of a current, untitled, painting in process.

Studio News, February 2020

I am feeling crushed by our world right now. If my kids had behaved like some of our leaders, they would have lost their cell phones, bedroom doors would be off the hinges and they would be grounded for life. The news is depressing, exhausting, terrifying and misleading. I need to invite more happiness into my life to counteract world events.

Turbulent times light a spark inside all of us, and artists respond with their creativity. Future generations will look back at the artwork from these years and have a better idea of what our times were like, because we artists are telling that story through our eyes (think of Picasso's Guernica).

While pursuing my MFA many, many moons ago, my work was criticized for being too pretty. I know it - no matter how hard I try to bring more grit into my paintings, they ultimately reflect my (usually) rabid optimism. I realize now that this could be my superpower, making beauty.

Reminders of tender memories, connections with our natural world, the never-ending circle of life. We are all the same, we share the same beginning and the same ending. These are the things that i try to express with my brushes - I hope that you see them.

Invite beauty into your days and let it begin to overshadow some of the ugliness.

If you want indulge in this sort of joy and see more of my work, there's a multitude of ways (and for that matter, you can do pretty much the same with any other artist who's work you find inspiring).

See them in your inbox 2-3 times per week - subscribe to my newsletters.
See them on Facebook - like/follow and then comment on my threads so I continue to show up in your newsfeed - I post art-related content multiple times daily
See them on Instagram - please follow along!
Visit them in person at an exhibition or gallery (or go to your fav museum!)
They are on my website and blog (my blog even goes back to 2006, if you really want to binge!).
If you can afford to, buy an original. I also have some affordably priced little songbird paintingsavailable. (thanks - it pays The Princess' college tuition).
You can bring prints (and other items) into your home (also thank you - this keeps my utilities turned on).
Leave a book of my artwork on your coffee table or nightstand.
Write or make art in my Reflections journal based on the Siren series of paintings
Attend a journaling class in person (not able to come to me? find a group in your area)
Take a class with me - online or in person, in a group or one-on-one - for as little as $5 a month

You are always welcome to let me know what you think. I'm listening. Feel free to respond to this newsletter, shoot me an email, comment on the blog or interact via Facebook or Instagram. Locals can join my journaling group that meets monthly. There's all sorts of ways for us to connect!

THANK YOU so much for making it this far, for reading all my wordy words, for buying my art or taking my classes or commenting and sharing things on social media. I am so grateful to share this journey with you.

Warmly, Kim

Tabby Kit

"Tabby Kit," 5" x 7", acrylics on a museum quality panel, depicting a tiny little orange striped guy from Morgue File . This painting can be yours for $289, which includes s&h inside the US. And in case you didn't see it, a little doodle of him is also available for sale here . Inquires may come directly to me . Although it certainly doesn't FEEL like spring here (snow and ice and wind chills, brr!), I can tell that spring is coming. The mercury is rising a wee bit each day and the days are getting longer and brighter. Over the weekend we drove with the moonroof open just to feel the sun's meager and oh-so-very-welcome warmth (although the heat in the car was cranked, too, in the interest of full disclosure!). I wanted to work with spring-like colors today, and this little guy was still on my mind , so I grabbed a small panel and got to work. Of course, I also have Poppy to finish and some changes to make to another po

“Rapt (Shadow),” from the Larger than Life series, 16”x22”, acrylic black lab mixed breed pet portrait on gallery wrapped canvas, $699. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com . SOLD. This is Shadow, who went missing on Sunday night. He belongs to a friend of mine, and has been a fixture in our community for many years. Errant fireworks scared the silly old guy into running off, and his family is busy searching for him. (If you happen to be in the Lake Orion/Oakland County area and have seen Shadow, please call 248-391-0867 or 248-391-6817) I’m confidant that he is safe (somewhere!) and awaiting discovery, but meanwhile, couldn’t help myself from posting his portrait as today’s dog a day painting . He’s constantly on my mind, and probably will remain so, until he finds his way back home. Hug your four legged guys while you can! Thanks, as always, for looking. And for sharing these paintings with friends and family, Kim Kimberly Kelly Santini http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/ dis

NEW! Etsy Store

One of my favorite unsold paintings from 2008, "Lashes & Corkscrews," 5" x 8", acrylic on canvasboard, depicting a tobiano buckskin curly horse, $289. Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com (but read further on how you can get a special deal on this painting!). Now it's ridiculously easy to browse my painting archives. All you have to do is visit my Etsy store . Etsy has a Shopping Cart (so you can pile it high with purchases from a variety of artists), is integrated with Paypal (although you may still pay by check if you prefer to), and is terribly simple to navigate. When the week has ended, I will have listed almost 100 of my favorite (UNSOLD!) paintings here, grouped loosely by subject matter. During 2009 I'll update the shop regularly, and add non-Dog-a-Day pieces as a bonus, thus making it easy to search for that perfect gift. Watch my daily postings for announcements, promotions and discount codes. If you do not receive the Dog-a-Day emails (

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